It’s Back to school time, even if you live in Queensland where the school year was deferred two more weeks, it’s almost that joyous time of the year for parents as the little ones go back to school. This also means school fees, supplies, uniforms, and of course a new lunchbox because the other one still had food left in it from the previous year, and it’s easier to let that one go than clean it.
There are savings to be had when spending for the school year ahead, and that’s what we’re going back to school with back-to-school savings, ok, still working on the title.
Book Packs
Book packs are the number one area where a parent can save money when sending the kids back to school with everything they need. At the end of the previous school year, the school will send home a list with their preferred supplier. It is always easier to go with this supplier, making it easy to click and buy. However, the prices are usually marked up as you pay for convenience.
Taking the list and doing your shopping at Officeworks, Amazon, or another retailer could mean significant savings when it comes to supplies. It means a bit more leg work or finger work, but the savings will make it work.
Licensed lunchboxes or bags
As a parent, it can be hard to keep up with what cartoon, video game, sports team, or fictional character your child is into right now, but it isn’t hard to realise that the image of that character jacks the price up of anything it’s on.
A standard school bag can go from $10 to over $40 if it has an image of a licensed character on it. While there might be a little complaining from the little ones, a standard bag, a nice printed one, or a plain lunchbox can save a lot of money. Maybe even enough for some character stickers for them to decorate the lunchbox themselves.
The second hand is your right hand!
Even some of the most dedicated “reuse-recycle” people pooh-pooh the idea of second-hand clothes. When it comes to school uniforms, having some of them from the second-hand bin can save a lot of money, and most kids wouldn’t even know the difference. An even better option is if you know a parent with a child in a higher grade than your child, those free hand-me-downs will be a life and budget saver.
Sending your kids back to school shouldn’t drain your budget and should mark an exciting time to help those little ones grow into amazing adults. Hopefully, financial literacy is on the curriculum this year at school, but if not, we’re sure you have the best tool to offer them.
If you would like to learn more about how you can save your budget, our team of experts is ready to help you make 2022 the year of financial goals!
